HOWELL – Joe Botti of Howell has been voted into the NJ Boxing Hall of Fame’s class of 2023.
Botti, 57, is recognized for training 34 NJ Golden Glove Champions and over 100 junior champions.
He was born in Jersey City and boxed as an amateur from 1977 to 1986. In 1989, he started training fighters in Hudson County and opened the Union City Boxing Club.
On top of the Golden Gloves and junior champions, Botti’s amateur teams won seven first place team trophies in the state. They’ve defeated much larger teams from Paterson, Newark, Jersey City and Trenton.
In 1993, Botti was honored as “Trainer of the Year” by the NJ Golden Gloves after he lead 12 Golden Glove champions in a span of two years. He also was selected as head trainer of multiple NJ national teams.
Throughout his career, Botti has managed and trained dozens of professional fighters including Jason “Monstrou” Escalera who fought for the USBA title in 2012. His fighters have fought all over the world and on every major TV network, including HBO, Showtime, ESPN and MSG.
Over the course of thousands of amateurs, there has been an 80% winning percentage. For the pros, that figure kicks up to 90%.
Botti made boxing history when he organized and promoted the first sanctioned amateur female boxing match in the NJ/NY metropolitan area under USA Boxing in 1993 when two Union City boxers trained by Botti fought on the show in Union City. In addition, he trained the first female boxer to win an “outstanding fighter of the tournament” award in NJ in the NJ Diamond Gloves tournament in 1995.
He has also worked in several world championship training camps and worked the corner of two-time world champion Joey Gamache of Maine.
Botti has lived in Monmouth County for the past 21 years. He is a retired police captain who worked for the Union City police department from 1997 to 2021. He’s also the author of two historical boxing books, “Joe Jennette: Boxing’s Ironman” and the soon to be released “Lightning & Thunder: The Arturo Gatti & Joe Gatti Story.”
Additionally, he is a member of the Hudson County Boxing Association & Ring 14 Veteran Boxers Association.
Those also being enshrined this year are Danny McDermott, Frank Bartolini, Frank “The Animal” Fletcher, Anthony Fletcher, Omar Sheika, Jerson Ravelo, Jolene Mizzone, Angel DeJesus, Maurice Harris, Shaun George, Charlie McGill and Archak TerMeliksetian.
The induction ceremony will take place on November 9, at the Venetian in Garfield.
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